Posted on 11/21/2005 4:39:48 PM PST by dennisw
A leading Islamic organisation was today kicking off its nationwide awareness week in the capital in an effort to promote better understanding of the religion and its historical links with Britain.
Mayor Ken Livingstone was launching Islam Awareness Week at a ceremony at City Hall with the message "One London".
Guest speakers at the ceremony include author and leading historian Professor Nabil Matar and secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain Sir Iqbal Sacranie.
Shafeeq Sadiq, national co-ordinator of Islam Awareness Week, said: "We need to remember the positive spirit that embraced the nation, and especially the capital, after London won the Olympic bid.
"It is with such optimism and hope that we will defeat terrorism."
Now in its 12th year, the Islamic Society of Britain's initiative aims to bring Muslims and non-Muslims together through a host of events and activities being held in towns and cities across the country.
During the week, the capital will see an east London mosque throw open its doors to the public, the staging of Islam-themed exhibitions and lectures and the screening of a film exploring the life of a great Muslim philosopher.
This year's theme is "Past and Present: 1,000 years of Islam and Britain" and will highlight the relationship between Islam and Britain which stretches back more than a millennium to the eighth century CE when Muslim explorers and traders began to visit British shores and Anglo-Saxon sailors ventured to North Africa.
Mr Sadiq said: "For over a thousand years of Islam and Britain, one has given shape to the other, whether we call this the Islamic legacy of Britain or the British heritage of Islam.
"Amid all the negativity, our past actually shows a rich history of co-existence between Islam and the British Isles.
"We can choose to make the future. Let's learn from the past and make it bright."
The Islamic Society of Britain is an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain.
For more details about Islamic Awareness Week, log on to www.iaw.org.uk
Livingstone is an idiot. Last time I was there he was in the papers for months, something about comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard.
Well it seems the world is going to hell.
How about an Irish Republican Army awareness week? Think Hizzoner will go for that?
It's all good and fun....I guess the brits didn't pay enough attention to France.
No, just REGULAR moronic....
Nice, REALLY NICE!!! Comment of the day kudos!!!
This event seems to be a good venue for his next billboard campaign to enlighten those EUro dhimmis.
I hereby declare the second week of September, the week containing 9/11, as Islam Awareness Week. Because that's when we really became aware.
I am afraid that before many moons have past, Londoners will get a belly full of "islamic awareness".
Some people just have to learn the hard way.
There was a long article in today's WSJ about Marseilles, which apparently had rioting, but less than other parts of France. Why? Well, the city is paying for mosques and imams, they're letting the Muslims run their own areas of town, they sponsor an Islamist radio station (although a couple of government agencies recently pulled out because the message is so radical), etc. So in other words, the Muslims are being allowed to have everything they want and set up their little Islamist paradise at the expense of the local French taxpayers. Still, the article ended with a couple of bored yutes, obviously feeling they were not being fawned over enough, going off to set a few fires.
What is the matter with the West? How crazy are we?
You forgot the mandatory BARF ALERT!? I therefore sentence you to a diet rich in bacon, pork rinds, barbecue, picnic, honey-baked ham, and .......
Oh, wait a minute - you're not Muslim, are you?
Never mind...........
No, thanks, we had ours on 9/11/01. Now it's our turn...
Mr Sadiq said: "For over a thousand years of Islam and Britain, one has given shape to the other, whether we call this the Islamic legacy of Britain or the British heritage of Islam.
Either way it means the end of England.
WHAT? Paris Burning did not make the Brits AWARE of Islam?
Livingstone's an total wanker ... he thinks that Dubya is the most dangerous man in the world.
Methinks the honorable Mayor is among the most stupid.
Somebody needs to throw a goblet of fire down his pie-hole and wake him up to the real world.
I don't think a whole week will help with his awareness problem.
After the week is through, he'll be twice as blind to the islamic jihadists that murder in cold blood.
They should call it "isolationist-burry-your-head-in-the-sand" week.
Uh, sorry. I'm already too well aware of Islam.
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